X CAMP ON THE PLATEAU 153 



The second ibex was not recovered for several days. 

 Dudson went back for it when I had left the nala, and 

 gave me the horns on the 6th of June when I was passing 

 through Darsu. They only measured 3o|- inches. 



The 14th was taken as an off-day, and I had the 

 luxury of a tub. After breakfast, which I had on a 

 grassy bank under a cedar near my tent, I turned my 

 sheepskin sleeping bag inside out, and mended several 

 rents therein which had been annoying me. I took the 

 opportunity also to put on buttons, darn socks, and do 

 other repairs. In the afternoon we went up the mountain 

 behind the tents, to look for the bear whose track we had 

 seen, but saw no signs of him. 



On the 15th we marched through Khaltar to the 

 plateau which lies between that and the Jutyal nala, and 

 camped on its flat top, near the point where it is con- 

 nected with the mountains. It runs north and south, and 

 the southern end slopes down towards the Great Bend 

 of the Indus, close to where the streams from the Khaltar 

 and Jutyal nalas join the main river. We had to camp 

 at the northern end so as to be near snow, there being 

 no spring on the plateau. 



I knew that Bond must be leaving about this date, 

 so sent a man with a letter to him to inquire. He 

 was then, I heard, camped in Kutyal, the sub-nala which 

 runs into Jutyal just above Darsu. 



That evening I made up such horns and skins as I 

 had into three loads, and sent them off in charge of 

 Jamala, one of the permanent coolies, to Srinagar. He 

 was to take two local coolies with him, and bring me 

 back a lot of stores, puttoo socks, cartridges, and other 



